Rudder mount assembly



Nov. 10, 1959 0. BROWN 2,911,935

RUDDER MOUNT ASSEMBLY Filed July 23, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvsmon: OTTOBROWN ATTYS.

Nov. 10, 1959 0. BROWN RUDDER MOUNT ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July23, 1957 FIGS INVENTORI OTTO BROWN f wdon/d hwwfl/ FIG. 6.

ATTYS.

United States Patent RUDDER MOUNT ASSEMBLY Otto Brown, Stavanger, NorwayApplication July 23, 1957, Serial No. 673,618

.Claims priority, application Norway August 4, 1956 2 Claims. (Cl.114165) The present invention relates broadly to a mounting assembly fora pivotally supported member, and more particularly to an improved meansfor detachably mounting a rudder to the stern post of a boat.

Rudders for boats or skills, and particularly life boat rudders, arecustomarily detached when the boat is stowed or out of water. Inconventional practice, the rudder on such small craft is attached to thestern post of the boat by means of eye bolts or the like. Suchconstructions are satisfactory under some conditions but it has beenfound practically impossible to install heavy rudders in heavy seas, andthe rudder may become disengaged or lost when the boat is launched.Particularly with referance to life boats, it is important that suitablemeans he used to permit the rudder to be quickly and positively attachedto the boat, even though the boat is to be launched in an emergency andin rough seas.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting assembly forrudders of this type providing for quick detachment, and positive quickattachment of the rudder to the stern post of a life boat.

Another object of the present invention is to provide mounting means forrudders whereby the rudder is very easily put in place and removed, andwhich is securely locked into position when mounted.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction for attaching a rudder to a small boat which permits theboat to be launched in heavy seas without danger that the rudder maybecome disengaged or lost.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide aconstruction whereby a rudder may be selectively engaged with anddisengaged from a boat, without removal or disconnection of the mountingmeans from the boat.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide mountingmeans for boat rudders incorporating therein, as an integral portion, atiller construction which also comprises a portion of the ruddermounting mechanism.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a ruddermounting device which is simple and sturdy in construction, and which iseasily attachable to stern posts of boats and the like.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of embodiments thereofwhen taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the rudder mountingmeans of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in sec tion, showing adetail of the construction;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, of a modifiedform of a detail of construction;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rudder post of pintle for mountingon the stern post of a boat;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a rudder mounting tube for coacting withthe post of Fig. 5; i

Fig. 7 is a perspective view or" an extension member for the rudder postand constituting a tiller; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a handle for the rudder assembly.

The invention comprises essentially the provision of a fixed rudder postor pintle adapted for rigid securement to the stern post of a boat, anda rudder supporting tube rotatably mounted on the rudder post having therudder attached thereto. Additionally, an extension of the rudder postis provided which is rotatably mounted on the top end of the post andthis extension includes a knee-joint or pivotal mounting whereby aportion can be selectively placed in horizontal or vertical position tofacilitate mounting of the rudder tube and rudder on the rudder post.Further the invention includes a tiller handle which is quickly andeasily attached to or detached from the rudder post extension whichadditionally constitutes a tiller for the rudder.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a portion of a boat,such as a life boat, is shown at It having a stern post 12 in the usualmanner. A rudder post or pintle 14 is secured to the stern post 12 bymeans of a lower bracket 16 fastened to the stern post by screws orbolts 18, and an upper bracket 20 attached to the stern post by screwsor bolts 22. These brackets 16 and 20 preferably are attached to therudder post 14 by welding or the like. For reasons appearinghereinafter, the front or nose portion of upper bracket 20 is narrowedat 2 4. The weld is indicated at 26. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of thedrawings, the upper end of rudder post 14 is provided with screw threads28 and an undercut or non-threaded portion at 30.

A rudder post extension, generally designated 32, consists of anelongated rod 34 of substantially the same diameter as rudder post 14.At one end of the rod 34 there is a rotary sleeve 36 pivotally mountedat 38, and which is provided with an internally threaded cup 40, adaptedfor screw threaded coaction and connection with the screw threadedportion 28 of rudder post 14. This post extension, by means ofinterengagement of the threads in cup 40 with the threaded portion 28,and in conjunction with the pivoted mounting of the rod 34 constitutes arudder post extension, the details of which are shown in assembledrelationship in Fig. 3. It will be noted, due to this construction, thatthe elongated rod 34 can be raised to a vertical position in alignmentwith rudder post 14 or placed in a horizontal position wherein the postextension serves in part as a tiller. Additionally, the rotary sleeve 36can be rotated with respect to the axis of rudder post 14 and the amountof rotation permissible, in the embodiment or" Fig. 3, is governed bythe relative positions of the threaded portions 28 and the threads inthreaded cup 4 0. Spacings are-indicated at 42 at the upper end of thepost and at 44 at the lower end of threaded cup 40, in conjunction withthe undercut or non-threaded portion 30 of rudder post 14. Additionalsuitable rotation limiting means can be incorporated if desired.

A modification of the connection between the rudder post and postextension is shown in Fig. 4 wherein the rudder post 46 has an upper end43 of lesser diameter, and a smooth peripheral surface thereon. A cup 50member having an internal bore 52 at its outer end is pivotally mountedon a rod similar to that shown at 34 in Figs. 3 and 7. This cup isinslidable and rotary engagement with upper end 48 of the post 46 as shownin Fig. 4. A peripherally extending slot 54 is provided through the wallof the member 50 and extends into the bore 52. A set screw 56 isthreadedly engaged in an opening formed in the upper end 48 of rudderpost 46,

and the outer end thereof extends into the slot 54. By means of thisconstruction, the rotational movement of the extension or cup 50, withrespect to the axis of rudder post 46, is determined and limited in amanner similar to that of the construction shown in Fig. 3. V

The foregoing structure constitutes that portion of the assembly adaptedfor securement to the boat in fixed relationship therewith. The movableportion of the rudder assembly is generally designated 58 and includes arudder blade 60 of a usual shape and construction, preferably wood. Therudder 60 is fastened to rudder tube 62 which is of tubularconfiguration, by means of brackets 64 and screws or bolts 66 or thelike. The brackets are welded as at 68 to tube 62. It will be seen fromFig. 6 of the drawings that the member 62 includes an elongated openended tube 70 having a longitudinally extending slot 72 in the bottomportion thereof, widening out at 74 in proximity to the middle of thetube. The upper portion of the tube is unbroken.

The upper bracket 64- has an extension 76 thereon of tubularconfiguration welded to the bracket at 78 and the free end is providedwith a spring clip 80 which opens upwardly. The spring clip is formed oftwo half portions having complemental semi-cylindrical portions 82, thepurpose of which will be shown hereinafter.

The post extension 32 can be placed in a vertical position which can bemaintained by the relationship of the freeend 84 of rod 34 with respectto the bottom of the slot 86 formed at the upper end of the rotarysleeve 36. When it is desired to mount the rudder assembly portion 58,extension 32 is first swung into horizontal position over the boat, andthe end of this rod can be inserted in the tube 70 which can be slidover the rod 34, and subsequently the rod 34 is turned up vertically sothat the rudder secured thereto will slide downwardly over and on to therudder post 14. Due to the provision of the slot 72 and the shape anddimension of the nose portion 24, no interference will be encountered bybracket secured to the rudder post 14. The widened portion 74 of theslot permits rotational movement of the rudder tube with respect to therudder post. Since the upper portion of the rudder tube is not providedwith a slot, it serves as a downward movement abutment for properpositioning of the tube on the rudder post. Following this mounting, thepost extension 32 is then lowered to 4 slot 88 to permit disengagementof the handle 90 from the rod 32.

When in assembled relationship, the movable portion of the rudderassembly, including the rudder tube 62 and rudder blade 60, can berotated or pivoted with respect to the rudder post and accordingly withrespect to the stern post and the boat proper for use as a rudder in anormal manner. 7 I

For detaching the movable portion, the reverse of the sequentialsteps'set forth above is followed, and consists in removing handle 90,raising extension rod 32 into vertical position, sliding rudder tube 62upwardly until free of the knee-jointformed between rudder post 14 andextension rod 32, and thereafter lowering rod 32 to the horizontalposition, and sliding the movable portion over the extension rod.

The foregoing description and drawings disclose a construction embodyingthe main features and characteristics of the present invention and someof the details have been included to describe an operative embodiment.Manifestly, many changes in minor details are possible within the scopeof the invention. As an example, the connection of the extension rodwith the rudder post can take various forms such as a plug threadedlyengaging in mating bores in the contacting ends of the extension andpost to which the rod 36 can be engaged. Further, the rudder tube can bereplaced by screw eyes or the like and the specific attaching means forthe handle could be modified to include a spring clip on the hand gripengaging over the spring clip formed on the upper bracket extensionthereby eliminating the peripheral groove.

Such modifications as will appear obvious to those skilled in the artare intended to be included within the horizontal position and will befirmly gripped in the 1 spring clip by means of the grooves 82 grippingthe outer periphery of the elongated rod 34. By proper dimensioning ofthe length of the rod 34, the post extension 32 also can serve as atiller for the rudder.

As shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, a peripheral groove 88 is formed inthe rod 34 intermediate its ends. A handle consisting of a hand gripportion 92, preferably of wood, is provided at its inner end with acylindrical,

longitudinally extending recess 94, and formed as an extension thereofis a tube 96 having substantially the same internal diameter as that ofcylindrical recess 94 and mounted on the end of the handle 90 by meansof collar 98. A spring clip 100 having a hand grip 102 is secured to theexternal surface of tube 96. After the rudder has been mounted asdescribed hereinbefore, the handle can he slid on to the free end ofpost extension 32 and the lip 104 of spring clip 109 will engage in theslot88 to lock the portions in operative relationship. The hand grip 102can be used for raising the lip 104 from scope of the present inventionand limited solely by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination a fixed rudder post adapted for securing to the sternpost of a boat, a rudder support rotatably mounted on said rudder post,an extension having a knee-joint therein rotatably mounted on the upperend of said rudder post whereby said extension can be aligned with orangularly disposed to said stern post to permit the rudder support and arudder secured thereto to be placed on the extension when in horizontalposition, and to be slid on to the rudder post, when said extension isin vertical position, in alignment with the stern post, means forselectively interconnecting said rudder support and said extension, saidextension constituting a rudder tiller when inhorizontal position andfixed to said rudder support.

2. The device of claim 1, said rudder support including brackets, arudder blade secured in said brackets, an extension on the upper one ofsaid brackets, said interconnecting means including a spring clip onsaid extension, said extension being engageable in said clip forconstituting a tiller for said rudder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS102,559 Law May 3, 1870 152,217 Crossman June 23, 1874 249,704 Watson etal Nov. 15, 1881 FOREIGN PATENTS 88,155 Norway Aug. 11, 1956

